Hair is chemically straightened through a hair straightening treatment. Hair is chemically altered to produce a wavy appearance through a permanent wave treatment. Both commercial hair straightening treatments and commercial permanent wave treatments include applying an alkaline composition to the hair to disrupt the bonds in the hair fibers, in particular the disulfide bonds. Generally, permanent wave treatments have a pH in the range of 9.0 to 9.5 pH and hair straightening treatments have a pH of greater than 12.0, and typically greater than 13.0.
Commercial hair straightening products and commercial permanent wave products are typically based on an alkaline metal hydroxide, such as calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or combinations thereof. Other commercial hair straightening products include guanidine hydroxide.
A result of the permanent wave treatments or the hair straightening treatments is that residue of the alkaline composition remains in the hair causing the hair to be dull, stiff, crusty or gritty. For example, when a calcium hydroxide based product is used in a hair straightening treatment calcium deposits are left on the hair. The presence of the calcium deposits causes the hair have a dry and gritty feeling and a dull appearance.
As such a need exists for a hair treatment to improve the feel and appearance of the hair subsequent to a hair straightening treatment or a permanent wave treatment without detrimentally affecting the straightness or waviness of the hair achieved through the straightening treatment or permanent wave treatment, respectively.